This invention relates in general to an enhanced warning system for vehicles and more particularly to one in which a visual warning is added to the auditory warning provided by the horn of a motor vehicle.
In general, when a driver of a motor vehicle hits the horn, it is to attract attention to a matter of considerable importance and usually a matter affecting human safety. A horn is a very useful device for catching attention.
However, there are a number of situations where the horn of a vehicle may not be heard because the modern vehicle more completely isolates and insulates the driver then used to be the case. Vehicles today include climate control systems that encourage one to keep the windows closed. Some vehicles provide a degree of sound proofing in order to enhance the comfort of the driver and riders. The chance that a driver may not hear the sound of a horn is greater than it used to be. Accordingly, a major purpose of this invention is to enhance the warning provided to others on the road when a driver sounds the horn.
In order to increase the availability of this enhancement, it is an important purpose of this invention to provide the enhancement with a minimum of reconfiguration of the arrangements presently available in a motor vehicle.
It is an important purpose of this invention to provide an enhancement of the warning provided by the audible sound of a horn in a context that minimizes additional cost and additional complexity of design.